At this point, I’ve hit on weight and sewing self esteem three times already.
This time, I figured it was time for an intimate conversation about my feelings in video. (My previous posts about this topic can be found here)
Talking about weight loss and weight gain in relation to your hobby and craft is really something that can be dissected into a million different pieces.
Where to start?
What to cover?
How deep to dive in?
How am *I* even handling it?
The topic is huge and there have been a million books written about weight loss (and gain.) Likewise, there are a million books written about self esteem and self worth. Bringing the two together into a positive learning opportunity, though?
For the purposes of this sewing blog post, I define Sewing Self Esteem as how you view the clothes you make through your craft and love of sewing– how you perceive the fit, how you perceive how they are worn through your lifestyle.
The only person I can speak for is myself.
As I say in a disclaimer in the video, I’m only comfortable to speak for myself about this topic. I only speak from my experiences and from how I perceive my weight loss and how that’s hitting me in relation to my craft. Of course, I want to be mindful not to offend anyone or say anything that is perceived as nasty or out of line– but I can only speak for my journey and the path.
My Weight Sewing Self Esteem took a hit when nothing in my closet fit.
Essentially it came down to this:
I spent hours and hours on a piece- time, effort, money. But, its either too big or too small. And not just by a little bit. But a lot.
Even though I felt fantastic about myself as a person- confident in my body, I felt very physically ill.
And this is really the kicker.
Loving myself and my body didn’t make the physical health feel any better. I couldn’t sleep, was always tired, and had (still do!) high blood pressure. But the weight I had gained didn’t stop me from wanting to explore my sewing craft- to perfect my skills as a seamstress- and to keep working on what I loved.
Ultimately, I refused to let myself take a Sewing Self Esteem hit.
Every time we sew, we have an opportunity to learn, to grow, to explore sewing. As our weight fluctuates (and it probably will)– rather than feeling sad about the change, its a moment to reflect on how amazing our bodies are and how awesome it is that we get to dress them up however we want.
My takeaway from my experience is… fabric comes and goes. Understanding that and understanding that our weight on the scale and size on the measuring tape do not define who we are- let alone who we are as seamstresses and dressmakers is VITAL.
Never let your weight stop you from sewing. Even if in 6 months your measurements change, that change won’t take away the practice, time, care, and skills you learned from the experience of making. And as seamstresses, we get to savor that like no one else does.
Are you experiencing weight fluctuations? Has that stopped you from sewing? Why?
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I Am currently in the process of losing weight myself due to feeling tired and not feeling great and I’ve noticed so far it’s mostly in my boobs I’ve lost weight. :( i am dying to make some new clothes so I am making going to be working with knits for awhile as I know they will have the most flexibility. And thank you for posting about this. Great job on taking steps to improve your health!
Thank you so much for sharing, Regina! The whole process can be disheartening for sure, especially if its just a single area that is shrinking and causing things to need redrafting! Hopefully your knitwear work is going great, though!!
I am struggling with my sewing and weight gain (menopause). I want to sew but I am struggling with my self esteem…
My body shape has changed in a way I don’t like nor how to sew for. I have over the last few years gained a tummy and my butt has an extra layer on it… I am normally a “pear” but now I would call it a “papple”.
Hoping my sewjo comes back…
Yes! Sew and enjoy sewing and sew for the body you currently have.